Don't Give Up on Your Pickles (or Your Career Goals)

Recently, I had an amazing deli lunch with my lovely wife, Lori Mihalich-Levin along with Lia Dorsey and Denise A. Robinson .?

Deli lunches are an integral part of life my, having been born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in North New Jersey.?Once you are at a deli, you will inevitably find high-quality pickles.?It’s that simple. ?Deli and pickles are like peanut butter and jelly.?Pickle varieties can include: full sour, half sour, quarter sour, kosher, dill, and spears. ?

To my joy and surprise, a pickle conversation emerged, as Lori, Lia, Denise and I settled in.?Each of one of us had our own individual journey towards an appreciation of pickles.?Let me tell you mine.

Marcel Proust has his Madeline, I have my pickles.?To me pickles represent connection, family and friendship.?As a child, my parents would take my brothers to my maternal grandparents’ bungalow in the Catskills for summer break.?Each week, the Pickle Man would announce his arrival over the loudspeaker to the bungalow colony.?Feeling a sense of urgency, I would run as fast as I could to his truck, where there would be massive vats of pickles.?And then that moment arrived: ?pulling a fresh pickle out of the vat. ?Putting it into my mouth. That crunch. ?That flavor. Pure joy!?Many of the pickle customers would linger around the pickle truck and just take time to get to know each other.

As I got older, my pickle experiences continued. My dad worked in the garment center in Mid-town Manhattan.?During high school and college breaks, I would work sample sales at his office to make some extra money.?My favorite part of that experience was going with my dad to Andrew’s Coffee Shop on 34th Street for lunch.?There I found great pickles and enjoyable conversation. ?

As a young adult, following my engagement to Lori in 2007, I moved from New York City to Washington, DC. ?Knowing Washington, DC was going to be my home, I needed my pickles. ?We lived in apartment and did not own a car.?Our local Giant grocery store was the first place I turned for my pickles.?As I walked the aisles, I could not find them. Where were the half sours? The full sours??I had re-located to the Nation’s Capital, and they did not have my pickles.

Out of curiosity, I went to the The GIANT Company customer service and asked about these pickles.?The customer service employee kindly instructed me to fill out a form, and they would see what they could do.?I came back to the store the following week and asked a similar question about my pickles.?I was given a similar response, and again filled out the form.

If only the management at Giant could understand.?The taste.?The opportunity to sell gourmet pickles at a higher price point, which would make them more money. ?Taste and capitalism at a grocery store: what is not to love?!

I knew I needed to up my game.?It was time to find my pickle ambassador. So, the following week I asked for the store manager and talked to him about these pickles. He had never heard of them, but he was interested in what I had to say.?Better taste and higher margins.?

At this Giant grocery store location, I became know as the “pickle guy.” Every week, I would ask a variation on the same question: “Does Giant have the shelf space for these pickles”, “Did you realize all the different types of meals pickles go with?” “Pickles are really for everyone!” “When do you think I am going to see my pickles at this Giant?” ?After a few months of my pickle campaign, my dream became a reality.?The Giant started stocking half and full sour pickles.?Joy!?I started tearing up.?To this day, you can find half sour pickles at Giant grocery stores in DC.

When you think about your career, you too have a “pickle” you seek to obtain.?Perhaps it is a promotion in your own organization. Perhaps you are trying to organize a meeting with a busy executive. Perhaps you are looking to build your professional services practice.?Each one of us has a pickle to aspire to.?

Here are some things to consider as you go after your “pickle”:

·???????Just start. Nothing happens in one conversation : Sometimes we get so trapped in our own heads, that we don’t even start a conversation. Recognize that nothing important happens in one conversation.?You will need to engage in a multitude of discussions to get what you are looking for.

·???????Consistency. Get in your calendar: Show me your calendar, and you will show me your priorities. Creating time blocks on a weekly/monthly basis allows for you to align your most important asset.?Your TIME!?So even if it is 15 minutes, get it into calendar.

·???????Better questions lead to better answers: Lead with curiosity.?How does the person see the issue? What is their perspective?

·???????Follow up and be comfortable with the sounds of silence: Just because someone has not responded to you immediately or given you the attention you need does not mean you have a bad idea.?You never know where someone is at when you reach out to them.?Be patient. Give it time. And do follow-up.

·???????Don’t do this alone: Get other people invested in your aspirations by sharing what you want to do. Success is achieved as a team.

I say to each of you:?Don’t give up on your pickles!?

#pickles #persistence #speaker #trainer #networking #relationships #goals